


Long Ago and Far Away

by henrywinter



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, Hurt, M/M, Romance, They're Not Nice People
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 15:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13034388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/henrywinter/pseuds/henrywinter
Summary: He avoids Ren. They’re both hurt – he knows they’re both stinging from what they’ve lost. Hux has lost their little mutual power struggle, but it’s more than that. It’s his dignity, his imposing aura of fear, and… maybe he’s lost Ren too.Hux doesn't know what to make of his situation, or of Ren. It's going to take a while to come to terms with whatever they are.





	Long Ago and Far Away

**Author's Note:**

> tw for brief implied self harm

He avoids Ren. They’re both hurt – he knows they’re both stinging from what they’ve lost. Hux has lost their little mutual power struggle, but it’s more than that. It’s his dignity, his imposing aura of fear, and… maybe he’s lost Ren too.

They’ve never been friends; never even civil, really. Hux hated Ren from the moment they were first introduced _(honestly, who lets him get away with that bucket)_ and he knew _that_ was mutual, too. He privately thinks Ren is overly melodramatic and sensitive and could do with working through some issues, and publicly, he’d be more than happy to say the same.

They clash. Hux likes order, he likes control and he’s worked hard to build his way up from nothing. Years spent studying and training and barely sleeping, and he’s got his reputation and title- and now? He’s not sure he’s still in control of that. He could never control Ren either, and now he could be gone for good too.

He remembers the night he carried Ren back to the ship as the planet crashed and burned around them. How he wouldn’t let anyone else _touch_ Ren, bandaging his new and old wounds himself. He saw the lines running up both sides of his forearms and vaguely thought they had more in common than he’d ever considered. Ren cried that night, the tears falling silently yet hard and fast and his whole body shaking. Hux remembers holding him, wordlessly, unsure of himself and what this would do to them.

_Hux can’t hate Ren anymore._

_Hux isn’t sure Ren remembers that night._  
  
His plan to avoid Ren is working out so far, but he’s not sure if he’s going to keep it up. First of all he’d like revenge in some way or another for his humiliation and second of all, Hux thinks it would be quite nice to know exactly what Ren wants from him following his declaration as new Supreme Leader. Hux is in his room, watching the galaxy from his window and contemplating life in a way he’s been too afraid of recently. _Enter existentialism._

It’s all worthless. _He’s_ worthless. This isn’t a new realisation (far from it), but the rising shame he’s felt since that hologram of Snoke is going to be externalised one way or another. Hux runs his fingers over a blade he took from his bathroom and considers whether it’s worth permanently reverting back to an old habit for the sake of a temporary distraction, decides it is, and then he’s interrupted. Call it fate. 

Usually people don’t knock on his door; he gets a message through his holopad when someone’s waiting or, more commonly, Hux only gets a visitor when it’s a prescheduled meeting. So it comes as a bit of a surprise when there’s three quiet knocks on his door, almost as if whoever’s out there doesn’t even wish to be heard.

Hux thinks he already knows who’s out there.

It’s Ren – _of course it’s fucking Ren –_ and his mind is surprisingly clear as he spits out “what do _you_ want?”, rubbing his fingers delicately and deliberately over the purple bruises marring his neck.

“We need to talk,” is the reply, and Hux almost misses the bucket over his head.

Ren’s invited himself in and Hux won’t look at him, resuming his position of staring out the window rather than at Ren’s face. It’s quite a nice face, actually, not hideously disfigured like he’d always imagined and somehow not ruined by the scar running up his cheek. It’s not bad to look at, generally, but he can’t stand the sight of it right now.

He's waited long enough for Ren to break the silence and finally says “What is it, _Supreme Leader?”,_ his tone a careful mocking of the title he has no respect for. His thoughts keep coming back to the injustice of it all; no one ever said life was fair (he knows that better than anyone), but the desperate irony is not lost on Hux.

“ _Careful,_ Hux,” is the reply he hears, the smirk almost audible, and he decides maybe he hasn’t lost Ren after all. It’s just a reversal of dynamics.

Hux turns to look at Ren then, hesitant of annoying him enough to be choked again. Ren meets his eyes immediately from where he’s casually leant against the door, one hand trailing through his long hair.

“I don’t answer to you,” Hux says, relaxing his own stance so as to not convey his anxiety.  
“Oh but you _do,_ now.” Ren’s smiling. Or maybe smirking; there doesn’t appear to be much of a difference.   
“Are you just here to antagonise me, or…?”

His voice trails off as Ren moves closer, running a gloved hand up Hux’s neck even as he flinches and jerks away. “Don’t touch me, _Ren._ ” He spits out his name with disgust and he’s happy to antagonise him back now boundaries have been crossed, the consequences a dull thought he’s no longer really worried about. 

“We need to talk,” Ren says again, “about your… position.”

Hux scoffs. “I get it. I’m your underling. You offed Snoke and now you’re the Supreme Leader. Spare me the details.”

“We can be equals, you know.” For the first time, Hux notices a waver in this new self-assured Kylo Ren – but he’s a bit distracted by the offer just made.  
“ _What?”  
_ “I’m serious. Well, I’ll be the one with the title, but you’re better with the battle side of things. I’m no General, after all. Don’t get in the way of my plans for this galaxy and I’ll give you the same command as I.”

Hux is reeling. His usual eloquence is failing him, combined with the shock of how _casual_ Ren is about this – Supreme Leader is a _pretty big deal._

“Well, do let me know what you think…” Ren’s smug, and he’s turning to the door as if to leave…  
“Ren, _wait.”_  
“Hmm…?” It’s singsong and it’s annoying.  
“You hate me. Why…? Why would you do this?”  
“Practicality.”

Hux is spluttering by this point at the absurdity of every word coming out of Kylo Ren’s mouth.  
“But there’s other Generals. You could get advisors. You don’t need _me.”_  
“My, my, Hux. You really should be more appreciative.”

Hux is ready to slap him. Instead, it’s Ren who touches him again, ghosting his fingers across Hux’s face carefully. He shivers, but doesn’t flinch away this time. “I accept.” His voice is shaking, but he won’t wait any longer in case Ren comes to his senses. Ren smiles for the first time that isn’t mocking him and pats his cheek, and Hux has to will himself not to lean into the smooth, warm leather.

“Good boy,” smiles Ren, and then he’s gone, and then Hux is left with nothing but pure, unfiltered shock.

 

  
Hux is back to normal by the next day, or at least he’s under the self-induced illusion he is. He’s carrying on his routine as normal, just on a different ship with a different Supreme Leader to report back to. He nearly walks into Ren on his way back from the control room and that in itself is jarring; it’s not like he ever just… bumped into Snoke. It’s a different type of leadership going on here.

 

“Hello, General,” Ren says, nodding.  
“Supreme Leader,” Hux greets, surprising himself by his diplomacy. If he accepts Ren’s proposal he has to accept his title, he figures, and there’s no point causing strife when there’s the opportunity for them to finally get along.

Hux doesn’t avoid Ren this time.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! hux is a sub sorry i don't make the rules


End file.
